8:15 AM in Helsinki and we are in port. It is 64 degrees and sunny so our tour should be enjoyable. The port here is not attractive so I'm hoping for better things once we get downtown. Kathy, the Hermitage is a worthy goal. There is no climate control and all of that priceless art is is right there in front of you. It reminded me of the Vatican.

Jim

Cool, Jim. (and I mean that, 64 is really cool!) Resorting to repeat pictures, since I only have 3 'chids in bloom. Repeats are better than no pics at all, right?

Update on 'Yellow Bird' now actually yellow! The big catt is glowing away right outside my patio door where I can look at it all day long.


I'm enjoying the collage of opal Spathoglottis blooming against the purple Achimenes and variegated spiral ginger.

Our visit to Helsinky central was nice but even nicer was a visit to a country home and garden several miles east of town. After we get home I will start a thread Country Gardens of Finland. It was much better for this country boy than five million Russians crammed into giant apartment buildings. We are currently on our way to Stockholm. I'm currently stuffed full of roasted rack of veal and tonight is the chocolate extravaganza. Have mercy!

Jim

We knew you'd find a garden somewhere there, Jim. Any cypripediums? Good thing you're probably doing lots of walking re: the chocolate extravaganza, huh? Btw, we do not feel sorry for you.

Stockholm is wonderful, you will love walking through the Old Town area. Don't miss going to see the Vasa at the maritime museum, too. The little local ferries around the harbor are fun. But, prices of everything are sky high. Our first night there, DH and I sat down for a drink at a little outdoor cafe, and his beer was $14 - that was 3 years ago!

I am once again chased indoors by rumbling thunder and big fat raindrops so here I am chatting away to a fellow who's sound asleep on a cruise ship in the Baltic. Just hoping it doesn't pour again, as today is the first time in a week I've dared give my orchids some fertilizer, and it will all wash off if it rains.

I think I'll have to cover my plants too- we've had over 12 inches of rain since June 1. Since we moved here 7 years ago, the summers have been very hot and very dry so we are not complaining about the rain and slightly cooler temps... yet!

I keep finding the odd spot of black on the leaves out there. Definitely can't help to be wet all the time, with all this rain spashing around. I am deploying my little makeshift tarp every day before the thunder clouds show up.

Did someone say......chocolate extravaganza?

Elaine is right on about Stockholm. It is very nice but expensive. We went to the Vasa museum and took lots of pics of the ill fated ship. Lots of parks with walking paths and flowers. This is a huge change from St. Petersburg. Daytime high was 66 degrees, sunny with a sharp wind. We sail for Visby tonight.

Jim

That still sounds a bit brisk to me, but I'm sure it's lovely.

Had an unpleasant surprise out in the orchid garden today, my lovely Pot.'Fire in your Eyes' had bloomed unbeknownst to me (facing backwards on the shelf so I couldn't see the flowers. The goldurned snails got to the flowers before I did and here is the result. I also have big, ugly black stink bugs on my favorite ginger flowers, but so far they have left the Spathoglottis right next to them alone.

I hate it when that happens.

Jim

Elaine, I am happy to see lots of activity here!

I can easily remember the slug plague from a few years ago. It cost me a good Laelia purpurata, amongst other stuff.

finally big photos of my Cymbidium One Tree Hill..ha!

Very nice, Bree.

Visby, Sweden is very nice. We loved it. It is known as the city of roses and ruins. I got lots of flower pics. Steaming south now and will visit Berlin tomorrow. It is a 12 hour tour but 6 of those hours are on a bus. 71 degrees and sunny today.

Jim

Bree, it's a beauty!! I love the pretty markings on the lip!!

JIm, enjoy Berlin. Take a stroll on the Kudamm for me!

Cyms give such great bloom value, don't they! Beautiful individual flowers, and so many of them that last so long.

Love the colors on that one, Bree. I have a NOID very similar. Here it is blooming at the beginning of March.

Just docked in Warnemunde, port city for Berlin. Will leave on a three hour bus trip to get to the city. We should see the Reichstag and the Pergamon museum in due course. Temp is 61, overcast and a 25 mph wind. Thankful for my jacket once again. Very hard to get on line and expensive as well.

Jim

That Cymbid. is similar Elaine.
Paph. Villosum..

We sure appreciate your keeping in touch, Jim. It's warm here, in case you were wondering.

That Paph is phabulous, Bree.

Great Cymbidium, Bree. Elaine yours is quite similar too, but not as spotty, it seems. My heart goes out to you and your snail eaten plants- I hate those stink bugs too, we had an infestation in our house this spring. Never knew where they came from, but they always buzzed the light next to my recliner and landed on the end table. ugh!

New flower on the same old Yellow Bird. The last flower got smushed down onto the patio by the heavy rain and a snail munched it, so it didn't get to go through its golden/orange stage. I have several new spikes coming along on the other plant of 'maybe Yellow Bird' too, so you folks are going to get really tired of seeing this one, if you're not already. Never fear, a few others are getting ready to open, too. C'mon Ken, Susan, I know you've got a few bloomers to show off!